I will only post my comments here, you can read the article directly from their website. I only got the main points as below:
Why is it a sin to be one?
==> Since the sender is a Catholic then I think they are bounded with the Catholic teachings and doctrines just like when one is a Muslim, Iglesia ni Cristo, Buddhist or whatever sects and religion he/she belongs. The mother (and you also Emily) should be aware of what is the Catholic dogma regarding gays and let me quote the official teachings of the Catholic Church regarding this topic.
CCC numbers 2357, 2358 and 2359
Chastity and homosexuality
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
Now to answer the question, being gay is NEVER a SIN but it's the ACT (like having SEX with the same GENDER) that made it a SIN.
You are right Emily that the children did not become drug dealers, political assassins or joined the martilyo gang that’s robbing banks and malls but that is completely not the point of the letter sender. All of us know those are wrong and should be condemned. The point here now is that, the mother and her husband (as she stated), gave them the good life and raised them as good Catholics so there must be something wrong (or "reasons behind" if you are not comfortable with the word "wrong").
There is no any reliable SCIENTIFIC evidence that there's such thing as gay genes so they were not born that way and so how come we have these people around? I agree (though not always the case) with the mother that it might be due to the strong relationship of the sons to the mother and the daughter to the father. That is scientifically and psychologically justifiable.
You can be a bad Catholic or a bad anything—if you continue to judge your children’s behavior through the prism of a blocked off mind.
==>Although I dont agree that the mother is judging the children, in fact she is simply clueless and wondering why such things happened to them despite all those things, besides the mother knows her children very well, so how come she can be wrong in judging them?
It’s not a crime that they can’t change what they are, just as you cannot change the fact that you are their natural mother.
==> Indeed, nobody says it was or it will but the question is "is it according to the Natural Law' that bounds everyone of us regardless of religion. Is it natural to everyone or you just want it to be natural for your own personal gain regardless if it is discriminatory to others who doesn't share the same opinion?
Nothing went wrong. We are all God’s creation and He didn’t make a mistake in any of us.
==>Yes God didn't make mistake, He created man and woman according to His own likeness. So what went wrong after the creation? Why there are people wants to change what was already been perfectly created by God? Get the point?
And can we please leave God out of this debate?
Why? Yes God said judge not, but God also condemn homosexual acts, so is God contradicting Himself? I dont think so. The problem here i think is that people chooses only those things that they think agreed with their beliefs. Its called cafeteria Christians.
Its like saying, I will not follow the Martial Law because it doesn't agree with my beliefs same with other provisions and laws that the government is implementing. I hope somehow you get the point here.
